


The Impossible

by suzvoy



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, Past Abuse, Pining Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-14 00:03:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4542579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzvoy/pseuds/suzvoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They face the impossible every day. What's one more impossible thing?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Impossible

**Author's Note:**

> omg I wrote somethiiiiiiiiing. I feel like it’s cheesy and angsty and ridiculous but it also has pining Derek and a happy ending, so… ;D
> 
> This is almost entirely the fault of doctorscienceknowsfandom and this post [here](http://doctorscienceknowsfandom.tumblr.com/post/126107176275/hello-i-hope-you-dont-mind-but-i-propose-a). Feedback would be fab.

“It’s your own fault,” Lydia says one Thursday, like Derek’s the kind of person who talks about this at all. Like they even have the kind of relationship where they’d talk about this with each other.

Fittingly, Derek says nothing. Although - as Stiles has pointed out many times, much to Derek’s own chagrin - he does have other, more expressive, forms of communication.

“Don’t give me the eyebrows,” Lydia responds, “perfectly groomed as they are. You know what I’m talking about.”

Derek stays silent. Lydia would take any conversation as confirmation and until today, no one has ever said anything at all to Derek about his Stiles… _thing_. He’d foolishly assumed that it was a _secret_ Stiles thing.

“You waited too long,” she continues, because for all that she’s changed, Lydia still has a mean streak a mile wide. Even if she thinks she’s doing this to be kind.

Derek knows all about waiting too long. And two days later, he gets to watch Mason take Stiles on their first date.

*

Derek honestly didn’t see Mason coming. At all. If he was honest, he barely acknowledged Mason’s existence. He was vaguely aware of him but he still thought of Mason as one of Liam’s friends, Liam’s group (or as Stiles referred to them, ‘Werewolves: The Next Generation’). He was also nice, _too_ nice and they all already had proof that Stiles preferred an asshole.

Which was all pretty ironic, really. Derek knew better than anyone the value of human pack members and how indispensable they were.

*

The worst thing may have been the sheriff. They were friends of a sort, now. Whenever there was anything that seemed supernatural at work, John brought Derek in as an ‘advisor’. He’d mentioned Derek doing the training and taking the deputy exam, more than once. Derek knew where the offer was coming from - it would be useful to have a werewolf on the force officially, especially in Beacon Hills. But he also knew John wanted him to have a place there. Somewhere he felt like he belonged.

That was also pretty ironic. Since he’d returned from travelling with Braeden, he’d been welcomed back with open arms. He and Scott were on the best terms they’d ever been on. Scott may have been the Alpha, but once a week they all met up for dinner at Derek’s place. The first week, Stiles had shown up wielding a cactus as a ‘den-warming present’. “Suits your shiny personality,” he’d said with a wink. Then he’d looked around nervously and sat next to Jamie. Derek was the only one who’d noticed his silence for the rest of the night. He’d spoken to the sheriff about it the very next day.

The sheriff was the worst, now, because of Jamie, because of that conversation Derek had had with him when he came back. He knew that Derek cared so everytime they saw each other, he’d bring Stiles’ relationship up.

“It’s still going well, don’t you think?” John asks, looking for reassurance. “Him and Mason?”

Derek nods and smiles tightly, the way he always does. He can’t deny John what he needs, not after everything he’s done for him. “He’s being treated exactly the way he deserves. Mason’s good for him. He’s happy.”

Looking relieved, John nods. “Good. Good. That’s what I thought.” He clears his throat and moves on. “So, Stiles was telling me wendigos are an actual thing? Just how many teeth do those suckers have?“ He pauses. "Wait, they don’t have suckers too, do they?”

*

A week after Jamie had gone, Derek opened his door to find Stiles standing outside, bleary-eyed, school bag in hand. "I need some space,” was all he’d said.

Derek silently let him inside, then quietly texted the sheriff.

It became their thing. Whenever Stiles needed to, he’d turn up at Derek’s apartment. Derek would let him in and not say a word. The first few times, Stiles wouldn’t say anything either, just work on whatever he needed to get done then leave with a quiet thanks.

Over time he started talking again. Smiling again. In that sarcastic way that was so irritating.

Derek had missed it a remarkable amount.

Today, Stiles sits across from him, rambling on about his dad and Melissa. He’s talking excitedly and his hands are gesturing as he talks and Derek’s chest tightens seeing him so whole, so _Stiles_ again. “…no but really, the sexual tension is so bad even Scott is noticing it, you know? I don’t understand why they just don’t get together already. Like, Scott and I have both made it abundantly clear that we’d be fine - happy even - with the idea. Bros forever! You know, if that was the thing holding them back.” Pausing, Stiles casts an unsubtle look in Derek’s direction.

Derek freezes. Somewhat ridiculously, he feels his heart start to race. Clears his throat. “I guess one or both of them are just…waiting for the right time.” He manages to force himself to look Stiles in the eye as he says this, and Derek thinks it may be the bravest thing he’s ever done.

Stiles stares back, eyes narrowed as if contemplating. “Hmm,” he says eventually. “I guess you’re right.”

Derek’s pretty sure werewolves aren’t supposed to sweat this much.

*

Life always likes kicking Derek in the balls, so of course one night he’s stuck running surveillance with Mason after something that has a taste for teenage boys turns up in town.

“Oh, awesome!” Mason exclaims happily when they’re paired up. “I’ve been wanting to pick your brain, but I didn’t want to just turn up at your place, you know? We don’t really know each other. Kind of rude.”

Derek leads the way to his car and tries to swallow the dryness in his throat. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Anything,” Mason enthuses with a grin, “everything! I know you’re the expert everyone always turns to for this stuff now that you’re back. I’ve done a lot of my own research but it’s not the same as growing up knowing about it. Is it okay if I ask you some stuff?”

As he opens the car door, Derek wishes he could hate Mason.

He still imagines ripping his throat out, just for old times’ sake.

*

Predictably everything goes to shit. This is Beacon Hills, after all.

Stiles is forcing Derek to watch an animated movie about little yellow _things_ (Derek’s not really paying attention anyway, he’s too busy not-staring at the curve of Stiles’ neck), when their phones go off at almost exactly the same time. They stare at each other, then start moving.

It feels like no time at all until they’re running through the preserve with the others. Stiles had at least ordered everyone to split into groups so they didn’t all run headlong into a trap, but there was no denying they were a disorganised mess. But they had no choice. Something had taken Liam and the timeframe from kidnap to death with the victims was a short one.

“Still no bat signal from Liam?” Stiles checks as he stumbles to a stop, hefting a baseball bat in his hands.

“No howl,” Derek confirms and they both know what that means. Liam’s tied up, unconscious, or worse.

It’s therefore quite a surprise when they find Liam lying on the ground, less than a minute later, sound asleep.

They blink at each other. Stiles goes to approach but Derek puts a hand up. “Let me.” Stiles shoots him a disatisfied look but concedes - if it is a trap, Derek has a better chance of surviving it. Instead, Stiles pulls out his phone to call Scott. They’ve learnt from experience that howling only draws negative attention and only use it in emergencies.

Of course, it is a trap. Derek approaches slowly, but as soon as he reaches down to try and wake Liam something dark rushes him and there’s pain and the ground against his back and Derek tries to fight back but something about it makes his limbs feel weak and-

“Hey, asswipe!” Stiles yells, of course he does, and the…whatever it is actually pauses, twists what there is of it’s neck and looks at him. “He’s not a teenage boy,” Stiles tells it, face contorted into something furious, almost ugly. “Why don’t you take on something your own target market size?” Then he swings the baseball bat so hard that grey gloop goes everywhere.

Stiles and Derek stare at each other over the remains of the creature.

Derek tells himself it’s not a moment. It can’t be, not when they’re covered in gunk and Stiles just killed something.

Not long after, the others come running into the clearing. Mason runs straight to Stiles. Lydia lifts her eyebrows at Derek.

Derek closes his eyes.

*

It seems like business as usual when Stiles turns up at his apartment the next day. He explains that they’re still trying to figure out what the creature actually is, that they’re pretty sure it was working alone. All very normal and business-like. That is, until Stiles turns and looks him straight in the eye.

“I broke up with Mason.”

Derek’s throat dries up.

“After…Jamie,” Stiles continues and Derek has control, Derek has perfect control, always has had since becoming an adult, but Stiles saying that name makes him see red. Well, blue technically. “After Jamie I needed…well I knew exactly what I needed but I couldn’t have it.” He holds Derek’s gaze again and Derek finds his bravery breathtaking. “But I did need someone who’d be good to me. And that’s exactly what Mason was. But…” he sighs, looking ashamed. “It was never about him. It was never about what he needed either, and that was wrong. And I figured…that was always our problem. You and me, I mean,” Stiles adds. “We always did a really good job of talking around it instead of actually talking about it, what we needed, so I’m just going to say it.” He clears his throat. Derek feels like he’s holding his breath.

Stiles speaks again. “I understand that you wouldn’t or couldn’t,” he shrugs, “whatever the right word is. But I wish you had.”

Derek finally feels like he has something to say. Something to try and explain. “Stiles. I wanted you to… _live_.”

That only gets a snort out of him. “I have lived, Derek. I’ve had a 1000 year-old demon use my body to kill people, attack the people I love. I’ve had an abusive fuck for a boyfriend. I’ve lost my mom. I’ve lost good friends. I’ve watched my best friend turn into a werewolf. I’ve nearly lost my dad, Scott, Lydia, you, all of you so many times. I’m fucking full of life, Derek.” His eyes are damp when he pauses. “I don’t know how it’d work when I go to college but…we could do it. We could make it. We could do anything, Derek.” Stiles smiles a little sadly. “We do the impossible every day.”

It’s convincing. Stiles is very convincing. And Derek knows he’s gone already, that all he needed was for Stiles to push. He knows, to someone else it would seem like such a small thing, but it’s not. It’s huge. To him, it’s huge. Stiles had to be the one to _choose_.

It’s just a few steps until Derek’s right in front of him and Stiles’ expression is transforming into something…delighted? Something Derek’s never seen before.

Closing their eyes, they rest their foreheads against each other.

Stiles sounds happy when he speaks. “Jamie was too much of an asshole. Mason wasn’t enough of one. Turns out I needed someone juuuuuust right.”

Derek huffs, hands latching onto Stiles’ upper arms. “Don’t joke about that. I couldn’t be an asshole to you.“ He stops, considers his words. "Not about this.”

Stiles’ hands cup the sides of his head, voice serious now. “I know. I know, Derek.”

He’s not sure how long they stand there. Eventually, Stiles shifts and Derek’s face is pressing against his neck. Derek decides to place a kiss there, just because.

There’s a smile in his voice when Stiles speaks. "Can you feel it?” he asks and it’s so warm and comfortable and _theirs_. “Everything we’ve been through. Both of us. And now we get to choose this. Now we get to live, Derek. The way _we_ want.”

Derek thinks he was wrong, before. He thinks this may be the bravest thing he’s ever done.

It’s also the happiest he’s ever been.

*

Lydia’s predictably smug the next time she sees them together. The sheriff is another case entirely.

Derek feels stupidly nervous everytime he sees him, but then he’s never actually done the whole ‘meet the parents’ thing. And in this case, he already knows John very well.

One day, about two months later, he finally caves. “You never ask me,” he tells John, “if things are going well. With Stiles. For Stiles.”

Rolling his eyes, John then eyes the box of donuts on the desk but sighs and leaves them alone anyway. “That’s because I don’t need to. Now,” he chews on a carrot stick, “tell me more about vampires. Is the sparkling actually a thing?”


End file.
